So the helpfile spells out dodge pretty clearly, but what about parry and shield block?

The helpfile says parry is affected most by weapon types. Okay, but what else matters? Dex or str, maybe size? All of these make sense to me.

What about shield block? Weapon type? Stats? Size? Does the AC of the shield help? Is it a straight skill check? Will haste affect shield block?

Where helpfiles are still vague to me is in cases where a skill/spell might logically have certain influencing factors, but the helpfile doesn't mention it. Does that mean it's not related, or just not in the helpfile?

I know there's a certain amount of "experiment and learn" but people come to all sorts of wrong conclusions because they think they see a pattern that isn't there. The RNG means you have to flip out hastur-style if you want to be sure that what you're seeing is real and not just a statistical fluke.

haste helps all defenses to some extent.

the helpfiles are good, weapon type vs weapon type is the biggest factor. everything else is a rather minute difference if it even exists.

if your trying to micromange that much your better off seeking means of greater mobility and regeneration then trying to squeeze out one more parry or shield block.